Walter Benjamin Programme is a grant from the German Research Foundation (DFG) that funds postdoctoral researchers in the early career phase to independently conduct their own research projects at an institution of their choice, in Germany or abroad. The programme promotes mobility and thematic development crucial at this career stage, requiring applicants to change research institutions.

Postdoctoral researchers who have completed their PhD are eligible; international applicants seeking funding abroad must have worked as a researcher in Germany for at least three continuous years. Funding includes a monthly fellowship stipend, allowances for direct project costs, travel, and publication expenses, with funding duration typically up to two years. Proposals may be submitted at any time.

Walter Benjamin Programme | DFG Walter Benjamin Programme FAQ: Walter Benjamin Programm e elan - Electronic proposal submissio n The Walter Benjamin Programme enables researchers in the postdoctoral training phase to independently conduct their own research project at a location of their choice. The project can be carried out at a research institution in Germany or abroad, with the host institution providing support for the project.

Before submitting your proposal, please clarify with the host institution whether the fellowship funding can be administered in accordance with DFG regulations ( DFG form 2. 0 0 (interner Link) ). Please note that the fellowship is paid exclusively to the funding recipient and not into an account of the host institution.

Note on Walter Benjamin fellowships French legislation allows postdoctoral fellowships at research institutions in France for a maximum period of 12 months.

Enquiries with the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur, de la Recherche et de l'Innovation, MESRI) have indicated, however, that fellowships may be granted for a period of up to 24 months if the postdoctoral researcher moves to another institution in France after 12 months. Please bear this in mind when planning a stay in France under the Walter Benjamin Programme.

If applicable, both institutions must already have been confirmed at the time of proposal submission. { disableAnimation = false }, 100)" Information about the Programme By securing funding for their own research project, particularly qualified postdoctoral researchers pave the way for the next stages of their increasingly independent research career and exercise autonomy.

The programme thus promotes early research careers with the aim of fostering the mobility and thematic development that are crucial in this career phase; therefore, the programme generally requires that the applicant change his or her research institution. Only postdoctoral researchers at an early career phase are eligible to apply to this programme.

The project may not be based at an entity that is for-profit or that does not permit the publication of findings in a generally accessible form. Special provisions apply for individuals applying for a Walter Benjamin fellowship (abroad): Funding abroad can only be provided if researchers are integrated into Germany’s academic research system.

This is the case if, immediately prior to submitting a proposal, they have worked as a researcher in Germany for a continuous period of at least three years during their doctoral and/or postdoctoral phase.

If researchers are already based abroad, funding can be provided abroad if they have completed the majority of their schooling and higher education in Germany and, as of proposal time, have not spent more than three years abroad for research purposes after completing their doctorate in Germany or abroad.

Furthermore, they must not have worked longer than one year at the host institution selected for the Walter Benjamin fellowship as of proposal time. Type and Extent of Funding This depends on the choice of module.

Abroad, funding is provided as a fellowship, whereas in Germany, as a position under the staff category “postdoctoral researcher and comparable” (or temporary substitute position usually under the staff category “medical research assistant”). Combining both is also possible.

Regardless of your choice of module, an allowance will be provided for direct project costs, travel expenses and publication costs and, where applicable, increased publication costs (literature). The fellowship comprises a monthly basic amount and, where applicable, foreign allowances, cost-of-living allowance, travel allowance as well as benefits for fellowship recipients with children.

You can use the Award Calculato r (interner Link) to determine how much funding you are likely to be awarded. It is expected that further requirements are covered by the institution at which the project is based. In particular for the project implementation in Germany, the host researchers are expected to support the project and the career development.

As a rule, the funding duration is up to two years. All guidelines, templates and further forms for this programme can be found in the Forms and Guideline s (interner Link) . { disableAnimation = false }, 100)" Proposals may be submitted at any time.

{ disableAnimation = false }, 100)" Discussion Platform for Fellows Abroad Fellows located abroad can exchange information on all aspects of their fellowship via a mailing list of the Discussion Platfor m (interner Link) (in German only). { disableAnimation = false }, 100)" { disableAnimation = false }, 100)" Additional information on the proposal process can be obtained from the relevant programme staf f (interner Link) .

Procedural questions can be directed to procedures-researchcareers@dfg. d e (externer Link) . Please also have a look at the detailed information on the FAQ s (interner Link) .

During Your Fellowship (Contact Persons at the Fellowship Office) In case of questions or for further information on financial management, please contact the Fellowship Offic e (Download) . Our portraying film "Kick-Start for postdocs" shows who the DFG-funded researchers are, what their research is about and what they say about the funding they receive.

In the explanatory video you learn who can apply for funding in the Walter Benjamin Programme, what the funding conditions are, and what helps when preparing a proposal. Faces: The Walter Benjamin Programme of the DFG By clicking on "Play" you agree that data will be transmitted to Google. For further information on data processing by Google, please refer to Google's privacy polic y (externer Link) .

Information on processing by DFG and your right to revoke your declaration of consent can be found in our Privacy Polic y (interner Link) . externe Inhalte von YouTube zulassen Das Walter Benjamin-Programm (with English subtitles) By clicking on "Play" you agree that data will be transmitted to Google. For further information on data processing by Google, please refer to Google's privacy polic y (externer Link) .

Information on processing by DFG and your right to revoke your declaration of consent can be found in our Privacy Polic y (interner Link) . externe Inhalte von YouTube zulassen Flyer Walter Benjamin Programm e (Download) To the website "How the DFG Supports Research Careers " (interner Link) { showButton = false; }, 3000) Go to the top of the page